Hebrews 10:1-18 -
God and the Church’s Position on Animal SacrificeArchive of Comments and Discussions - Questions and Answers From All-Creatures.org

Hebrews 10:1: “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and
not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they
offered year by year continually make the comers’ thereunto perfect.”

God expects us to be perfect but we can never be perfect so long as we
are distracted by the consciousness of sin. When He shed His blood for us in
our place, He gave us the free gift of righteousness and took our cursedness
in exchange. He died for our sins and the debt was paid in full. His sinless
blood was acceptable to God and God demonstrated that it was by raising Him
from the dead. (See Romans 1:4) The law made nothing perfect and its purpose
was to show us what sin trapped people we really were, apart from the
crucifixion of Christ. If the law made anything perfect, Christ has died
needlessly. The law is only a shadow of things that were to come and not
those things in reality. Shadows only give you a vague and very
oversimplified take on what you are looking at. The law was only a shadow!
Those animal sacrifices in the dispensation of the law could not set anyone
free from their sins or sin consciousness even though they were repeated
every year! Animal sacrifices, no matter how often or many are not
effective!

Hebrews 10:2: “For then would they not have ceased to be offered?
Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience
of sins.”

If these animal sacrifices and shedding of blood were effective, the
temple priests would not have needed to repeatedly offer them and the animal
slaughter would have ceased for that individual’s sin. We must conclude
therefore that for the intended purpose, animal sacrifices did not work.

Hebrews 10:3: “But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again
made of sins every year.”

If you are plagued by remembering some transgressions you committed and
are tormented by them year after year, such animal sacrifices certainly will
not produce the desired and intended results, so why would anyone want to
continue them or resume them? I particularly address this question to
Christians who rejoice that such murdering of animals in a rebuilt Temple is
on the drawing board.

Hebrews 10:4: “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of
goats should take away sins.”

It is not only true that shedding the blood of innocent bulls and goats
or any other creature does not take away sin, but it is totally impossible,
according to God, for animal sacrifices to achieve this. When God says
something is impossible, brother, it is impossible! Why would any human
being seeking spiritual blessing and victory, support or celebrate animal
sacrifices? When there is no benefit, why would anyone give place to such a
hideous and barbaric practice?

Hebrews 10:5: “Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith,
“Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared
me.”

When Messiah came into the world He declared that God the Father would
not want such animal sacrifices, so why would we want something that the
Heavenly Father has no desire for? Notice here that the Christ pointed out
that God had prepared for Him a body capable of both suffering and death on
the cross. He, alone, was both capable of sin and yet sinless. But it was
the many member body of Christ that was the joy set before Jesus Christ. And
the Heavenly Father was bringing many sons into the first stage of
manifestation through God the Son’s demonstration of Divine love! It is
through the body of Jesus Christ, who bore our sins on the cross that we who
believe were set free.

We must recall that God is referring, in Hebrews 10 to animal sacrifices.
God was not at all pleased with animal sacrifice, so how could we, as His
followers, want to reinstate it and then, even take pleasure in it? Anyone
who rejoices that animal sacrifices have resumed, sacrifices that God takes
zero pleasure in, has got to be warped! On the Day of Pentecost, Peter
warned, “Save your selves from this untoward generation!” “Untoward” means
spiritually parched and morally warped!

Hebrews 10:7: “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it
is written of me), to do thy will, O God.”

Lo means behold and here we behold Christ saying that God’s word points
to one singular Messiah who would pay in full for all the sins of the world.
Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus, the brilliance of God’s manifestation, purged
our sins by Himself. Notice no animals or anyone else was involved in this
incredible deliverance.

Hebrews 10:8-9: “Above, when He said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt
offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure
therein: which are offered by the law; Then said He, Lo, I come to do thy
will, O God. He taketh away the first (covenant) that He may establish the
second.”

The sacrifices offered by the law are animal sacrifices, and nothing God
liked or would have anyone participate in! What He would have us do is
replace the age of legalism with the eon of Grace! Make a note of it. You
could say God does not like or want us to commit adultery, to dishonor God,
to lie, steal, murder or sacrifice animals which the law offers. Isaiah 66:3
says, “He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a
lamb, as if he cuts off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he
offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol.
Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their
abominations.” I know those who hunt and trap and butcher for business
resent anyone saying so, but God says that you are a murderer for killing
the animals and for not treating a lamb, the same way you would your family
pet dog! May I assume you would not be sacrificing it? It was Jesus’ will
that always was surrendered to the Father’s that led Him to pull out all
stops to save humanity and all creatures.

Hebrews 10:10: “By the which will we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

God’s will was for Christ’s sacrifice alone to take us out of the fallen
world or kingdom of darkness and translate us into the kingdom of His dear
Son who offered Himself up as the one needed and effective sacrifice that
endures forever. The word “sanctified” means made holy and to be uniquely
set apart to God and His purposes. If we have had this accomplished (and
Jesus said, “It is completed or finished”). Since it is finished, then what
sense does it make to offer up animal sacrifices? Do we believe in doing
senseless things? I hope not!

Hebrews 10:11-13: “And every priest standeth daily ministering and
offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but
this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on
the right hand of God; from hence forth expecting till his enemies be made
his footstool.”

Priests in the temple offered animal sacrifices which cannot ever take
away sins. That part of their job was ineffective and could not and did not
address the situation it was created for. But the man, Yashua Mashiyach, is
waiting for His enemies to be placed under His feet. In light of all God’s
conclusions in Hebrews 10, we too can conclude that even these very wrongly
directed people who may have dumb but good intentions are God’s enemies. How
can it be that Christ wants dysfunctional sacrifices from animals that He
does not want sacrificed, to be sacrificed in competition with Christ’s
“once for all sacrifice of Himself?” If we are set apart to God which Christ
accomplished for us “our sins and iniquities God remembers no more at all.”
God is not recording the sins of people who are set apart for God and living
to please Him. Satan is keeping that record so He may accuse us day and
night but Christ did not come to condemn us but that through Him we might be
saved which means delivered, restored to God, set apart to Him to fulfill
His purpose and vision for us, and to made whole. We are complete in Him who
is the head of all principality and power. Not only do we not need the blood
of poor innocent animals to be shed for us, but we do not want it! In light
of the word of God in Hebrews and many other places such as Hosea 6:6, how
could we respect animal sacrifices or appreciate such senseless cruelty?

Since I also have the Holy Spirit directing my steps, I must believe that
God wants none of that either. If any precious Jewish people feel the need
for animal sacrifices it is because they have not thoroughly searched the
scriptures, received the Messiah or kept God in all their thoughts and did
not know the time of their visitation. See Luke 19:44. It seems to me that
all Israel, because they are part of the seed of Abraham and because of the
promises God made to Abraham concerning His seed, will be saved. It is also
true that those who are Christ’s will also be saved but both they and us can
make this a very prolonged process by dragging our feet spiritually even
though He that began a good work in us will complete it. As we approach the
midnight hour, many Jewish people are discovering it is high time to say:
“Messiah and Lord Jesus, Come in!” If you receive Jesus, the indwelling
Christ will reveal all things to you by His spirit and you won’t be the
least bit interested in killing God’s creatures.

Hebrews 10:14: “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them
that are sanctified.”

What a wonderful and amazing verse with both great and terrible
implications. On the one hand we are positionally perfected for ever on the
other hand we need to cooperate with the Spirit’s work in us until in
manifestation we occupy the position with our walk. Because of grace we can
enjoy our position long before we live out the reality of it. If we are
slothful spiritually and in our study of the word we can actually be serving
Satan’s activities of hindering our walk or we can be hot, zealous and
taking every opportunity to learn all God has for us and walk in it. Paul
put it this way, “I cooperated mightily with God who worked mightily in me.”
Sooner or later we will be very glad we did that or very, very sorrowful
that we did not always honor God and seek first the Kingdom, being thankful
that we are positionally already in God’s eyes perfected forever.

Hebrews 10:15-17: “Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for
after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with
them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts
and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I
remember no more.”

The reason the Holy Ghost manifestly is a witness to us is because he
brings to remembrance whatsoever things Jesus has spoken and superimposed
into us with the mind of Christ which He has given to us. John 14:26 says,
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” Once we recognize and embrace
the fact that we have been positionally perfected for evermore it is time to
start expecting to keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit and to keep on
being reminded of all the spiritual riches Christ has bestowed upon us. In
Jeremiah 31:34, this prophet quotes God saying, “They shall teach no more
every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying know the Lord: for
they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them for
I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more.” Why
would anyone want to kill an animal for their sins which God has forgiven
already and does not remember at all?

Hebrews 10:18: “Now where remission of these is (sins and iniquities),
there is no more offering for sin (or need for it)”

Remission means freedom, pardon, deliverance, forgiveness and liberty.
When we are free from our sin and transgression, when we are pardoned and
delivered, when we are forgiven and therefore discover liberty, there is
absolutely no more offering for sin including animal sacrifice for the sin
has been blotted out, erased, cleansed and forgotten. Where there is no sin
remaining there is no need for any further actions. It is finished!

The next time you see one of God’s animal creatures, thank Jesus for
beginning the end of animal sacrifice by His own sacrifice for all. If we
understand the Holy Scripture and have faith in the operation of God in
sending His son, we most surely must oppose all animal sacrifice!

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